This Snack Cake with Salted Caramel Frosting is a delicate yellow cake with a dense crumb, then topped with a salted caramel frosting. It is perfect for cravings or when you want to whip up a quick and delicious treat for your loved ones to share. Try my White Cake Recipe for another easy-to-make, delicious snack cake.
Snack Cake with Salted Caramel Frosting Ingredients & Substitutions
Butter: Use salted butter in both the snack cake and the salted caramel frosting. Be sure it is at room temperature.
Flour: I used all-purpose flour in the cake. I have not tested the cake with other kinds of flour, so I cannot speak to its effectiveness.
Cornstarch: Cornstarch helps create a softer texture in the cake.
Milk: Whole milk is added to the cake batter to provide richness and added moisture. Have a little extra set aside for the salted caramel frosting. It can be added (starting with a small amount) until the buttercream reaches your desired consistency.
Caramel Sauce: For the salted caramel buttercream, you can use store-bought caramel sauce or make your own. It is a delicious frosting that I also used in my Ooey Gooey Banana Bars (which you will also want to try)!
Can I Make The Buttercream Ahead Of Time?
Yes! To get a head start on this cake, you can get the salted caramel buttercream made in advance. Store it in the refrigerator for up to a week or the freezer for up to 3 months.
How To Store Snack Cake With Salted Caramel Frosting
If you are planning to eat the frosted cake within a day or two, it can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature. For longer storage, keep the cake in a container in the refrigerator. It will last up to 4-5 days, but refrigeration can dry out the cake a bit faster, so keep that in mind.
Freezing Cakes
If you are planning to freeze this cake, I recommend freezing it without the frosting. Before freezing, let it cool completely. Next, wrap the cake in plastic wrap. Wrap it again in another layer of plastic wrap, aluminum foil, or in a freezer-safe bag. Label and date the packaging; the cake can be frozen for up to 2-3 months. When ready to frost with buttercream or enjoy as-is, let the cake thaw at room temperature while still wrapped. After about 30 minutes, the cake will be ready to decorate.
More Popular Cakes
Snack Cake
Ingredients
Cake
- ½ cup (1 stick / 113 g) salted butter, softened
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
- 1 ½ cups (187.5 g) all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ cup (122.5 g) whole milk, room temperature
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
Salted Caramel Buttercream
- ½ cup (1 stick / 113 g) salted butter, room temperature
- 2 cups (250 g) confectioners' sugar
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ cup (82 g) caramel topping
- 1 ½ teaspoons whole milk, as needed
Instructions
Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray an 8-inch square baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
- To a large bowl, add butter. Using a handheld mixer on medium speed, beat the butter until creamy, roughly 3-4 minutes.
- Gradually add the sugar, beating until light and fluffy.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, and baking powder.
- With the mixer on low speed, alternate adding the flour mixture and milk to the butter mixture, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. After each addition, beat at a low speed just until blended.
- In a separate bowl, beat the eggs with a fork. Then, gently fold the beaten eggs into the batter. Pour batter into prepared pan.
- Bake for 35-38 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out with a few crumbs, but no wet batter.
- Let the cake cool before adding the frosting.
Salted Caramel Buttercream
- To the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, add the butter, sugar, salt, and caramel topping.
- Start mixing on low speed until the sugar is incorporated with the butter.
- Increase the mixing speed to high and beat until smooth and fluffy (about 2 minutes).
- Adjust the consistency with milk, as needed.
- Frost the cake with the buttercream after the cake has cooled completely.
Did you make this recipe?
Thank you for making my recipe! You took pictures, right? Well go ahead and post them on Instagram! Be sure to mention me @iambaker and use the hashtag #YouAreBaker.
Couple questions. Step 4 in the cake directions says stir in the milk. Where? The sugar mixture? That doesn’t sound right since the next step says add flour alternating with milk.
For the frosting, where do I add salt so it can be salted caramel?
Sorry, that was awkwardly worded. I fixed it! Just alternate milk with flour.
Adding salt to the top of the cake after you have frosted it is where the salt comes in. 🙂
Thank you. I’m going to bake this.
Hi!… the ingredients say corn starch but in the picture apear baking soda…
Hi! The ingredients in the picture are not what to follow… just follow the recipe. 🙂
Hi ,I think you’ve to decrease the amount of powder sugar as it is too much . it’s not my first time to make frosting for a cake but it turns to be like the biscuits’s under cheese cake and too sugary
Thanks for your amazing recipes ❤️
Yes, please feel free to adjust the recipe to your specific tastes!
My husband is a chocolate cake fanatic! Would I be able to make this in a chocolate version and keep it as easy? Any guidelines for doing so?
This snack cake looks super! It would be breakfast, snack, and dessert cake for me and my boys! Love the caramel and overall simple beauty of this, Amanda! ????
I love all your recipes I would like to try
your vanilla cake with salted caramel frosting
Recipe instead of cake as cupcakes
Do I have to alter anything ?
Instead of salt on top of frosting I will add
Hersey salted caramel chips
Thank you
Well, this looks delicious! Just pinned it to make next weekend!
I love snack cakes Amanda! And salted caramel is my favorite. Tucking this one away for sure!
You are really great!!martha
Sounds like a very good cake. I like it being a smaller size cake as it is just my husband and I.